Air-brake signal.



G. J. WESTPHAL.

AIR BRAKE SIGNAL. APPLIUATION FILED 11111131. 1910.

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GEORGE J". WESTPHAL, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA.

AIR-BRAKE SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

by an engine driven from the locomotive,

usually by means of steam supplied to such engine from the locomotiveboiler. It frequently happens that the air pump ceases; to work from onecause. or another and as a result the pressure withln the a1r reservolrifalls below a given point which may result in failure of the brakes towork at a critical time.

The present invention provides means for a rising the en ineer offailure of the pump to work so that they difficulty may be promptlyovercome, thereby preventing accident through failure of the brakes towork by reason of diminished air pressure within the reservoir.

The invention contemplates a signal adapted to be operated by the airpressure, a valve for cutting off the supply of air to the signal, andvalve operating means actuated by the exhaust from the air pumpoperating engine, said valve operating meansbeing. of

novel and peculiar form as illustrated in the accompanying drawing,which shows the invention 1n operative relatlon in connection with ana1r reservoir, a1r pump and air pump operating engine such as generallyemployed in an air brake system for railway trains.

The air pump 1 and engine 2 for driving the same may be of anyconstruction or type such as commonly employed in air brake systems. Theair reservoir 3 for containing the air under pressure is connected withthe air pump 1 by means of a pipe 1. The air pump operating engine 2 isadapted to be driven by means of steam supplied thereto from the boilerof the locomotive engine by means of a'pipe 5. The spent or exhauststeamis carried off from the engine 2 by means of a pipe 6. Apipe 7connects the air reservoir 3 with the engineers valve. A signal 8 isconveniently positioned and adapted to be operated by means ofcompressed air from the reservoir 3. A pipe 9 connects the signal withthe air reservoir and is provided in its length with a valve, which iscontrolled by means of the exhaust from the air pump operating engine 2.The signal 8 may be of any type so long as it serves to give warning andapprise the engineer of failure of the pump 2 to operate. The signalillustrated is of the audible variety and when operated emits a soundsuflicient to attract attention and give warning that the air pump isnot working, so that the cause may be inquired into and remedied so thatthe predetermined or working pressure of the air within the reservoir 3'may be maintained and thereby prevent a casualty which may otherwiseoccur as a result of the brake system failing to operate at a criticalmoment.

The valve for controlling the signal operating means comprises a casing10, a valve 11, a cylinder 12, a piston 13 arranged to operate in thecylinder 12 and connected with the valve 11 by means of a stem 14, and acheck valve 15. The casing 10 is provided with an inlet 16 and an outlet17 and is formed with a chamber 18 in which the valve 11 operates. Aplug l9closes the open end of the chamber 18 and is formed at its inner.

end with an opening which communicates at one end with the inlet 16 andat its opposite end with a seat against which the valve 11 closes. Thestem 11 operates through a stuffing box provided at the inner or lowerend of the casing 10. The casing 10 constitutes a closure for the upperend of the cylinder 12 and is provided with a vent 20 for the ingressand egress of air, thereby admitting'of positive and quick action of thepiston 13. The unseating of the valve 11 is limited by the downwardmovement of the piston 13, which is controlled by means of stops 21projecting into the space of the cylinder 12. By reason of the peculiarconstruction and arrangement of the parts associated with the casing 10the assemblage of the working elements may be easily effected and thevalve and its seat made readily accessible for any purpose that mayarise. The weight of the piston 13 and the attached parts, such as thevalve 11 and stem 14, is such as to insure an unseating of the valve 11,thereby overcoming the necessity for the provision of a spring to assistin the unseating of the valve. A fitting 22 closes the lower end of thecylinder 12 and is chambered, parts of the exhaust pipe being connectedthereto and communicating with the chamber 23 thereof. The check valve15 closes the opening by means of which communication is establishedbetween the chamber 28 and the cylinder 12, said check valve closingdownward and being retained in place and directed in its movements bymeans of a guide 241:.

The parts being assembled and arranged substantially as herein disclosedand the air pump and its operating engine being in working order thevalve 11 is held seated by the action of the exhaust steam confined inthe cylinder 12 below the piston 13. When the valve 11 is seated the airis out off from the signal 8, which remains inactive. In the event ofthe pressure within the cylinder 12 becoming reduced by reason of theengine'2 failing to work the valve 11 becomes unseated and the airpassing from the reservoir 3 to the signal operates the latter and giveswarning of the failure of the air pump to work so that the cause may beremoved and the parts restored to working condition, thereby reducingthe chances of accident to the smallest amount possible. When the engine2 is in operation the exhaust steam passes regularly therefrom throughthe exhaust pipe 6 to the predetermined point of discharge, said exhaustin its passage entering the chamber 23 and a portion thereof passinginto the cylinder 12 by the check valve'15, thereby maintaining apressure within the cylinder 12 to press the piston 13 upward and holdthe valve 11 seated. Any water of condensation collecting in the lowerportion of the cylinder 12 passes off when the check valve 15 isunseated, thereby preventing any accumulation of water of condensation.Should the pump fail to operate for an appreciable length of time byreason of the stopping of its operating engine 2 the cylinder 12 willnot receive a fresh supply of exhaust steam and as a consequence thepressure within the cylinder 12 will become reduced by reason of thecondensation of the steam therein resulting from a cooling of thecylinder and this diminished pressure will operate to create a partialvacuum and draw the piston 13 downward and unseat the valve 11, therebypermitting compressed air to pass from the reservoir 3 to the signal 8to operate the latter and give warning of abnormal conditions so thatthe defect may be remedied. When the cause is removed and the pump againstarts to work the exhaust steam from the engine 2 passes off throughthe pipe 6, a portion of such steam enters the cylinder 12 and exerts apressure upon the piston 13 to move the same upward and again seat thevalve 11, thereby shutting off the supply of compressed air to thesignal 8, which latter becomes inactive. It is to be understood thatunder normal conditions the air pump is in continuous operation or theperiods of inaction are of such short duration as to prevent anymaterial reduction of pressure within the cylinder 12, therebypreventing intermediate operation of the signal, but in the event of anunusual period of rest of the pump from abnormal cause the pressurewithin the cylinder 12 reduces by reason of the condensation of thesteam therein, thereby resulting in an unseating of the valve 11 andoperation of the signal.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of themethod of operation will be readily ap parent to those skilled in theart to which the invention appertains, and while I have described theprinciple of operation of the invention, together with the device whichI now consider to be the embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that suchchanges may bemade when desired as are within the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. In an air brake system, the combination of an air reservoir, an airpump for charging said reservoir, an engine'for operating the air pump,a signal, connecting means between the signal and air reservoir forsupplying compressed air to the signal for operating the same, a valvefor shutting off the supply of air to the signal, and valve controllingmeans actuated by the exhaust from the said pump operating engine forholding said valve closed under normal con ditions and admitting of theopening of said valve under abnormal conditions to admit of operation ofthe signal.

2. In an air brake system, the combination of a reservoir for receivingcompressed air, an air pump for charging said reservoir, an engine foroperating the air pump, a

signal, connecting means between the signal and air reservoir, a valvefor shutting ofi the supply of air to the signal, a cylinder, a pistonarranged to operate in the cylinder and connected with the beforementioned valve, and means for charging said cylinder with the exhaustfrom the air pump operating engine to hold the valve closed under normalconditions and to admit of the opening of said valve when the pressurewithin the cylinder falls below a given point.

3. In an air brake system, the combination of a reservoir for receivingcompressed air, an air pump for charging said reservoir, an engine foroperating the air pump, a signal, connecting means between the signaland air reservoir, a valve for shutting off the supply of air to thesignal, a cylinder, a piston arranged to operate in the cylinder andconnected. with the beforementioned valve, a chambered element connectedwith said cylinder and having communication therewith, a check valvenormally closing the opening establishing communication between thecylinder and chambered element, and means for passing the exhaust fromthe air pump operating engine through said chambered element to admit ofa portion of said exhaust passing by the check valve into the cylinderto maintain a pressure therein to hold the firstmentioned valve closedthrough the instrumentality of the piston connected therewith.

4. In an air brake system, the combination of a reservoir for receivingcompressedair, an air pump for charging said reservoir, an engine foroperating the air pump, a signal, connecting means between the signaland air reservoir, a valve for shutting off the supply of air to thesignal, a cylinder, a piston arranged to operate in the cylinder andconnected with the beforementioned valve, a chambered element located atthe lowest point of the cylinder and having communication therewith, anupwardly opening check valve normally closing the opening by means ofwhich communication is established between the cylinder and chamberedelement, and means for passing the exhaust steam from the air pumpoperating engine through said chambered element to admit of a portion ofsuch steam unseating the check valve and entering the cylinder and atthe same time relieving the cylinder of any water of condensation.

5. In combination an air pump, an engine for operating the air pump, asignal adapted to be operated by means of the air compressed by said airpump, a chambered casing having an inlet and an outlet and having avalve seat between the said inlet and outlet, a valve normally closed onsaid seat, and valve controlling means actuated by the exhaust from theair pump operating engine to hold said valve seated under normalconditions.

6. In combination 'an air pump, an engine for operating the air pump, achambered casing having an inlet and an outlet, connecting means'between the inlet of said casing and the air pump, a signal, connectingmeans between said signal and the outlet of said casing, a plug forclosing the open end of the chambered casing and having an opening incommunication at one end with the inlet and with a valve seat at itsopposite end, a valve normally closed upon said seat to shut offcommunication between the inlet and the outlet of the chambered casing,and valve controlling means actuated by the exhaust from the air pumpoperating engine to normally hold said valve seated and to admit of theopening of the valve under abnormal conditions, whereby the signal isoperated by means of the air compressed by the beforementioned air pump.

7 In combination an air pump, a steam engine for operating the air pump,a signal, connecting means between the signal and air pump to admit ofoperating the signal by means of the air compressed by said pump, avalve for shutting ofli the supply of air to the signal under normalconditions, a cylinder, a piston arranged to op crate in the cylinderand having said valve connected therewith, a chambered element at thelower end of the cylinder having communication with the cylinder, anupwardly opening check valve for closing the opening by means of whichcommunication is established between the chambered element and cylinder,and means for directing the exhaust steam from the air pump operatingengine through said chambered element to admit of a portion of theexhaust steam passing by the check valve into the cylinder to normallyhold the air controlling valve closed and to admit of said aircontrolling valve automatically opening when the pressure within thecylinder falls below a given point.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. WESTPHAL.

Witnesses:

V. B. HILLYARD, BENNETT S. JONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

